新托福口語練習材料——關(guān)于寵物的話題(1)

　　PetsAreGoodforyou

　　Thebasicmeaningof"pet"isananimalwekeepforemotionalratherthaneconomicreasons.(1)Apetanimaliskeptasacompanion,andweallneedcompanionstokeepusfeelinghappy.Butpetsofferusmorethanmerecompanionship;theyinviteustoloveandbeloved.Manyownersfeeltheirpetsunderstandthem,foranimalsarequicktosenseangerandsorrow.Oftenacatordogcancomfortusattimeswhenhumanwordsdon’thelp(2).Wefeelloved,too,bythewaypetsdepentonusforhome,forfoodanddrink.Dogsespecially,lookuptotheirowners,whichmakesthemfeelimportantandneeded.(3)

　　Apetcanbesomethingdifferenttoeachmemberofthefamily,anotherbabytothemother,asisterorbrothertoanonlychild,agrandchildtotheelderly,(4)butforallofuspetsprovidepleasureandcompanionship.Ithasevenbeensuggestedthattinypetsshouldbesentascompanionstoastronautsonspaceships,tohelpreducethestressandlonelinessofspaceflights.

　　InthisPlasticAge,(5)whenmostofusliveinlargecities,petsareparticularlyforchildren.Apetinthefamilykeepspeopleintouchwiththemorenatural,animalworld.Seeingananimalgivebirthbringsunderstandingofthenaturalnessofchildbirthofthenaturalnessofchildbirth,andseeingapethelpsachildtocopewithsorrow.(6)Learningtocareforapethelpsachildtogrowupintoalovingadultwhofeelsresponsibletowardsthosedependentonhim.Rightlyweteachchildrentobegoodtotheirpets.Theyshouldlearn,too,thatpetsaregoodforushumanbeings.

　　I.Listen

　　Listentothetextwiththehelpofthefollowingnotes.

　　1.Thebasicmeaningof"pet"isananimalwekeepforemotionalratherthaneconomicreasons:"寵物“的基本含義是，我們出于感情原因，而不是經(jīng)濟目的而飼養(yǎng)的一種動物。

　　2.whenhumanwordsdon’thelp:人的語言安撫無濟于事時。

　　3.Dogsespecially,lookuptotheirowners,whichmakesthemfeelimportantandneeded:特別是狗對其主人的尊重使用權(quán)他們產(chǎn)生一種舉足輕重和不可缺少的感覺。

　　4.Apetcanbesomethingdifferenttoeachmemberofthefamily,anotherbabytothemother,asisterorbrothertoanonlychild,agrandchildtotheelderly:對家庭的每一個成員來說，一只寵物有著不同的作用：對母親來說，它是另一個孩子；對獨生子女來說，它則成了一個妹妹或弟弟；老人面前，它又變成了孫子。

　　5.InthePlasticAge:在這一塑料時代（即指當今塑料制品取代了自殺的生活用品）。

　　6.Seeingananimalgivebirthbringsunderstandingofthenaturalnessofchildbirth,andseeingapetdiehelpsachildtocopewithsorrow:觀察一只動物的分娩可以幫助人理解嬰兒出生的自然過程；而看到一只寵物的死去則可以幫助孩子怎能樣面對痛苦。